Want to eat healthier and support local food initiatives? Then consider joining a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and put your money where your mouth is--literally. Eat local for a healthier you and a healthier community.

Want to eat healthier and support local food initiatives? Then consider joining a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and put your money where your mouth is–literally. Eat local for a healthier you and a healthier community.

Why Community Supported Agriculture?

You support local farmers, who in many cases need the stability of a CSA to exist. You also support local food, which is more sustainable and better for the planet. Supporting your community in making it more diverse, resilient and economically vibrant. And you support yourself (and your family) by eating better and discovering foods you may not have access to otherwise.

Community supported agriculture is a system that allows patrons or subscribers to directly support local farmers and receive a yield or share of the grown produce or other farm products. CSAs have been gaining in popularity as more people learn about the valuable benefits of eating and supporting local, more sustainable food practices. There are many variations. Shares can be just vegetables, or they can also come with fruits, eggs, dairy, bread or even locally raised meats; it all depends on what’s growing on the farm.

How Does It Work?

Subscribers pay an agreed upon amount for an agreed upon time period to the farmer or farmer cooperative ahead of the planting season. Once the crops start coming in, each subscriber receives a share of the “profits”. The farmer benefits because s/he knows how much money is coming in and has money ahead of the growing season. It provides a valuable foundation to the fiscal health of the farm, making farming less of a feast and famine pursuit.

To learn more or to sign up for a CSA, visit a local farmers market and talk to the farmers there. Odds are some of the farmers offer a CSA program. In addition, visit Local Harvest, a website all about connecting farmers and their customers.

]]>http://www.organicauthority.com/community-supported-agriculture-101-fall-in-love-with-csas/feed/05 Ways to Eat Local Food Even During the Winterhttp://www.organicauthority.com/5-ways-to-eat-local-food-even-during-the-winter/
http://www.organicauthority.com/5-ways-to-eat-local-food-even-during-the-winter/#commentsWed, 22 Jan 2014 08:00:42 +0000http://www.organicauthority.com/?p=27166

Eating local food is considered to be one of the best things you can do for the environment and that means eating more locally raised, farmed, harvested and produced meats, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, breads and more. Since it’s wintertime though, you might think that let’s you off the hook for eating healthy and local, but think again. While it may not be feasible with our modern lifestyles to eat 100 percent local food all year round, it’s more possible than you think. A little research, planning and experimentation is all it takes to eating more sustainably all year.

Eating local food is considered to be one of the best things you can do for the environment and that means eating more locally raised, farmed, harvested and produced meats, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, breads and more. Since it’s wintertime though, you might think that let’s you off the hook for eating healthy and local, but think again. While it may not be feasible with our modern lifestyles to eat 100 percent local food all year round, it’s more possible than you think. A little research, planning and experimentation is all it takes to eating more sustainably all year.

Locavorism is the idea that we should eat as much locally produced food as possible. Recent arguments even contend that eating local can even more positively impact the environment than buying organic produce that is shipped halfway around the world. Of course, the ideal is still to find locally grown and raised foods that haven’t been be treated with pesticides and have been grown utilizing the most sustainable methods possible. Of course, don’t expect tomatoes in the middle of winter, but branch out and seasonally.

For those who are want to commit to eating more locally, how is it possible to expand your local food opportunities during the winter? Here are a few ideas.

1. Join a CSA

Many CSA’s (Community Supported Agriculture) grow food all winter long. I’m currently subscribed to a CSA and every two weeks I get a box filled with kale, collards, greens, root vegetables and other hearty winter vegetables. My share also features apples, which are stored in cold storage and fresh herbs, which are grown in a greenhouse. Visit Local Harvest to find a CSA near you.

2. Grow Your Own Food Inside

While it’s not realistic to grow a whole garden’s worth of food indoors, it is possible to supplement your diet of staples with fresh accents. Fresh delicacies like microgreens, sprouts and herbs can easily be grown in sunny windowsills to accompany your hearty winter soups and stews.

3. Cold Frame Growing

One of the techniques farmers use is cold-frame growing. With cold-frame growing, it is possible to extend the growing season for some foods. Learn more at Organic Gardening.

4. Local Food Co-ops and Exchanges

I also suggest doing some research for all year farmers markets, food exchange and food cooperatives. I regularly visit a local food exchange in my community that has fresh local foods delivered by local farmers all year long. Local Harvest is also a great resource for this option.

5. Preserving Food

Finally, there is also the option to can and freeze the bounty of the summer to enjoy in the wintertime. Preserving food is not as difficult as it sounds and the work is worth it. Nothing beats a mid-winter fruit salad made from peaches and berries frozen at in the summer. Learn more at the National Center for Home Food Preservation

I don’t know a single person who doesn’t enjoy being part of a local CSA. And I’ll also wager that most produce lovers adore going to U-Pick orchards. Well, if those previous statements are true, that easily explains why the Masumoto Family Farm’s adopt-a-tree program is so successful.

I don’t know a single person who doesn’t enjoy being part of a local CSA. And I’ll also wager that most produce lovers adore going to U-Pick orchards. Well, if those previous statements are true, that easily explains why the Masumoto Family Farm’s adopt-a-tree program is so successful.

Every year, the farm encourages its fans to adopt an Elberta peach tree, or a Le Grand nectarine tree. Potential tree adopters fill out a tree adoption form, pay $600 and are asked to keep weekends free for a four-week period in the summer to harvest (the harvest time is unpredictable. Adopters have to be flexible and come to the farm for two consecutive weekends in the summer.) The farm encourages multiple people, such as a family, or an office, to adopt one tree to help offset the adoption cost.

While the program places a ton of luscious produce into the hands of the farm’s customers, it also helps the farm:

Save on labor costs.

Get money quickly from patrons up front.

Show patrons how a farm really works. Fruit pickers get a real, hands-on farming experience, and typically walk away feeling more connected to the land.

“If you eat, you’re an investor.” That’s the motto of a startup called Credibles that aims to bring a crowdfunding model to all sorts of food businesses.

Credibles is the latest outgrowth of Slow Money’s efforts to catalyze thoughtful investment in a local food system. The program offers “edible credits” which are a small-scale investment platform for small, artisan food businesses.

Through the Credibles website, edible credits are sold by these food businesses to the public as way of raising capital. “Investors” can then redeem their credits for food, and most of the food companies offer a bonus (up to an additional 10 percent) for customers who pre-pay.

The credits work like a gift card. All the customer has to do is tell the cashier that she wants to pay with credibles; the cashier can look up the customer’s account, deduct the total from her balance, and voila! Done. Credibles credits can even be given as gifts.

“Good food needs both money and time to grow and ripen. Small-scale investments have a huge impact on a food business’s ability to thrive. And you don’t need to be able to write big checks,” said Arno Hesse, founder and CEO of Credibles.

Credibles brigns crowdfunding to food using an eater-centric world view. The model taps both finance (Slow Money) and technology (Clearbon) expertise to revamp traditional funding methods and newer crowdfunding methods. A win-win for entrepreneurs and customers alike, Credibles makes it easy to support local restaurants and food businesses the same way community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs support farmers.

Buying edible credits also means you can leave your wallet at home next time you venture to the farmers’ market or grab a neighborhood lunch because these businesses already have your money. You paid it forward.

So far, the Credibles website has businesses in New York, California, and Oregon, but the company has plans to take the system nationwide.

If you're hip to CSAs—community supported agriculture, where you pay upfront for a "subscription" to fresh food from a farm—then you might want to keep your eyes open for the latest trend, CSRs: community supported restaurants.

If you’re hip to CSAs—community supported agriculture, where you pay upfront for a “subscription” to fresh food from a farm—then you might want to keep your eyes open for the latest trend, CSRs: community supported restaurants.

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of checking out a sort of “pre-opening” party for a new restaurant and marketplace selling fast, convenient, chef-inspired food in Boulder, Colorado that’s also healthy, gluten-free, GMO-free, vegan (except for the meat, which omnivores can add) and allergy-friendly.

But the really exciting aspect of the Fresh Thymes Eatery (besides the fact that the food is crazy delicious), is that they’re using a CSR model to help with their startup costs. Here’s how the website describes it:

Members give a certain amount of money to Fresh Thymes Eatery up front. Then all that community cash goes straight to helping us launch the restaurant. Once we’re in business, you get repaid in all sorts of super fresh perks, including discounts, monthly comped meals, members-only foods, swag, private dinners and other valuable bonuses. You even get your name on our Founders Wall.

It’s “localvesting” at it’s best, and now’s your chance to be a part of the freshest times (pun intended) Boulder has ever seen.

Investors can choose their committment level from $250 all the way up to $5,000, and the perks vary at the different levels as well. Two hundred and fifty dollars a year will get you two free meals per month and access to member-only specials, while the $5,000 level nets you all kinds of perks, from free meals and activities with the chef and founder to tickets to a private dinner and three member-only gifts per month.

Turns out, this business model is a growing trend, especially with farm-to-plate-style restaurants. The Travel and Leisure blog says CSRs are, “A natural next step in the increasing obsession with hyper-local food, CSRs allow customers to become small investors in local eateries, giving them perks such as free meals—as well as a vested interest in seeing the restaurant succeed.”

]]>http://www.organicauthority.com/foodie-buzz/youve-heard-of-csas-but-how-about-csrs.html/feed/0The Hidden Food Waste Culprit and What You Can Do About Ithttp://www.organicauthority.com/sanctuary/the-hidden-food-waste-culprit.html
http://www.organicauthority.com/sanctuary/the-hidden-food-waste-culprit.html#commentsSun, 16 Dec 2012 16:00:00 +0000http://www.organicauthority.com/s2-sanctuary/c5-sanctuary/the-hidden-food-waste-culprit/

We waste between 30 and 50 percent of the food that we produce. That is pretty scary, especially considering rising food prices and that so many people here in the U.S. and worldwide go to bed hungry. We know there are ways that we as consumers can reduce the amount of food that goes to waste in our kitchens, but there's one cause of food waste that we don't talk about nearly enough.

We waste between 30 and 50 percent of the food that we produce. That is pretty scary, especially considering rising food prices and that so many people here in the U.S. and worldwide go to bed hungry. We know there are ways that we as consumers can reduce the amount of food that goes to waste in our kitchens, but there’s one cause of food waste that we don’t talk about nearly enough.

Did you know that grocery stores have strict standards for how produce has to look? Apples that are too small? No thank you! Carrots that have two “legs” instead of the one that most consumers expect? Outta here! These fruits and veggies are just as safe as the giant apples and perfect-looking carrots that we see on store shelves, yet they end up as waste, because stores won’t buy them from farmers.

If this senseless waste of perfectly good food makes you a little bit ill, there are a few ways that you can make a difference:

Join a CSA – Veggie boxes from Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm shares don’t discriminate just because something is a little misshapen. Rejoice in the pants carrots!

Shop at the Farmers Market – Just like a CSA share, small farms aren’t going to leave irregular food that’s perfectly edible behind when they load up for market. Rifle through those baskets and choose the funniest-looking veggies!

Partner with Local Farms – If you want to make the biggest impact, get to know the mid- to large-sized farms in your area and talk to them about donating that irregular produce to the local food bank instead of tossing it.

Grow Your Own – Growing your own food gives you total control over what you save and what gets tossed.

Have you found other ways to reclaim irregular fruits and veggies before they end up in the compost bin or the landfill? I’d love to hear more ideas in the comments!

Grocery delivery company Door to Door Organics received a $2 million investment from Greenmont Capital to help expand their subscription-based e-grocery experience.

The seven-year-old company has taken the CSA model online and offers one of the largest grocery delivery networks in the U.S. with operations in Colorado, Illinois, Missouri, Michigan and Pennsylvania. In addition to its original mission to deliver “good food”—fresh, organic produce—to homes, offices, and schools, Door to Door Organics now also offers high-end and local grocery products including sustainably-raised meat, artisan bread, local dairy and other items.

“We built this business by delivering fresh, high-quality food that has a positive impact on people’s health, the environment, and our communities,” Chad Arnold, President and CEO of Door to Door Organics, said in a statement. “Now we’re focused on integrating the best e-grocery experience for our customers, so people can build a lifestyle around better food choices. With planning, shopping, and cooking tools, like our Shop by Recipe™ platform for e-grocery, we’re bringing together inspiration, simplicity, and personalization for a great shopping experience.”

Greenmont Capital, based in Boulder, Colorado, invests in high-growth companies serving the “Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability” (“LOHAS”) market.

“We’re excited to partner with Door to Door Organics and bring our experience from retail grocery into the world of e-grocery,” said Greenmont Capital partner David Haynes. “The consumer dynamic is shifting rapidly, and Door to Door Organics is building a compelling solution for the informed, health-conscious consumer who wants to be inspired in the kitchen.”

If you're like us, you've made the choice to buy organic wherever possible. Unfortunately, that means you're likely spending much more than the average American on groceries, because we don't have to tell you -- buying organic can sure get expensive! If it's a stretch for you, we've come up with a few pantry items, a couple that are truly worth the splurge, and a couple where there are smart ways to save.

If you’re like us, you’ve made the choice to buy organic wherever possible. Unfortunately, that means you’re likely spending much more than the average American on groceries, because we don’t have to tell you — buying organic can sure get expensive! If it’s a stretch for you, we’ve come up with a few pantry items, a couple that are truly worth the splurge, and a couple where there are smart ways to save.

Olive Oil

Splurge. Good olive oil is a great asset to any kitchen. An organic extra-virgin olive oil will bring amazing flavor to your salads, baked goods and other dishes; real extra-virgin olive oil is nearly bright green in color, is very aromatic and has a fruity, incomparable flavor. Real extra-virgin olive oil is definitely expensive, but you can splurge on this item as long as you’re using it properly. Extra-virgin olive oil should never be heated, as it destroys the subtle flavor and can even make this good-for-you superfood into something harmful to your health. Reserve olive oil for your salads, quickbreads, or other items where it’s not heated to a smoke point, and use cooking oil for your sautéing and frying.

Cooking Oil

Save. Cooking oil is the kind you use every day to brown veggies, sauté onions or bring out the toasty flavor of garlic and spices. You can save by buying a store brand of cooking oil; just be sure you’re buying the right kind. Take a look at this helpful list of oils to determine which is best for the method of cooking you have in mind.

Canned Tuna

Splurge. For a long time, tuna has not been fished sustainably, so it’s a very good idea to buy upmarket brands of tuna, so as not to contribute to the irresponsible fishing of this product. American Tuna is a great brand, supporting pole-caught tuna fished by six American fishing families. Fish-4-Ever was one of the first companies to launch this way of fishing, and they offer a wide variety of products, including tuna canned in organic oil, canned mackerel and canned Alaskan salmon.

Seasonal Fruits and Vegetable

Save. Not that you should be buying any old supermarket veggies! But buying organic in the supermarket can get expensive, and there is an easier, cheaper way. Farmers markets are generally cheaper than supermarkets, and investing in a CSA ensures that you have a selection of local, organic and seasonal fruits and veggies all year long. Not only is this a great way to buy organic, but you’re also supporting local industry and, quite often, learning to cook with fruits and veggies you may have never picked up otherwise. It’s a win-win!

Just when you thought food sourcing couldn’t get any better than the farm-to-table movement, in comes an even more radical movement: the community-supported kitchen. If you’re into buying local foods, you’ve got to learn about this new phenomenon. And if you get in on one while they’re in these initial formative years, you may even be part of a revolutionary food movement.

Just when you thought food sourcing couldn’t get any better than the farm-to-table movement, in comes an even more radical movement: the community-supported kitchen. If you’re into buying local foods, you’ve got to learn about this new phenomenon. And if you get in on one while they’re in these initial formative years, you may even be part of a revolutionary food movement.

You may have heard about community supported agriculture by now (No? Learn here). CSAs, as they’re called, are businesses set up and run by small farmers to put their food directly in the hands of the community — by means of weekly, monthly or seasonal memberships. As a CSA member, you pay into a particular membership from the farm, and this “food subscription” buys you a regular “share” of that farmer’s bounty — usually fruits and vegetables, but sometimes including dairy and meats from the farm. It’s like buying stock in that farm — you pay them your dollars directly to support their business, and in turn, you get a share of the profit every season.

But we’re not talking about CSAs, we’re talking about CSKs: community-supported kitchens. These CSKs take the platform of a CSA and apply it towards an operational kitchen that produces food staples from locally-farmed ingredients. The CSK is supported not only by the community’s memberships (as with a CSA), but also by direct participation from the community. In a community-supported kitchen, you go beyond just getting raw goods from your local farmer. Here, you step inside the kitchen, learn about the foods, learn about the farmers, work with the chefs and learn to make nutritious, wholesome meals from those raw goods. It’s a fusion of local food with education, inspiration and participation. And it’s spreading like wildfire.

The first kitchen to develop the CSK model was Three Stone Hearth, situated in the all-too-appropriate Berkeley, California (home of legendary food reformer Alice Waters). This kitchen collaboration is run by five co-owners and is supported by volunteers who come in on a daily basis to help cook and prepare meals for the community members. Three Stone Hearth not only creates weekly boxes of food staples made from locally-sourced foods, but they make foods that follow time-honored methods of traditional food preparation that date back hundreds of years. Grains are sprouted, whole animal fats are used, animal organs are used in pates, fermented drinks are made from whole herbs, and cultured dairy products are created — all on site, and all with the help of community members.

Three Stone Hearth, as other CSKs, has created a type of kitchen sanctuary where locals can come by and truly become a part of the food community, rather than remain mere spectators. Monthly dinners with seasonal feasts, cooking classes and educational speaking series may all be a part of the integrated CSK model. Bring your kids, bring your friends, bring a camera and a notebook, and bring a full appetite — all things in the name of good food come to fruition at a well-run CSK.

In a world of mass production where we’re struggling to find value in the products we buy, the people our dollars support, and the way we live our lives, it brings hope and inspiration to find ideas like the CSK popping up in our culture. Get a bit closer to your food, to your farmer and to the friends you never knew you had in your own neighborhood.

Looking for farm fresh produce without the hassle of planting your own? Sign up for a CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) and you’ll get produce straight from a local farm. Aside from the super fresh produce, CSAs also have many eco-friendly benefits and even though all the winter CSAs are already booked up, you should to sign up for your summer share now!

Looking for farm fresh produce without the hassle of planting your own? Sign up for a CSAs(Community Supported Agriculture) and you’ll get produce straight from a local farm. Aside from the super fresh produce, CSAs also have many eco-friendly benefits and even though all the winter CSAs are already booked up, you should to sign up for your summer share now!

What is a CSA?

CSAs (community supported agriculture) give city dwellers direct access to high quality, fresh produce grown locally by regional farmers. When you sign up and become a member you are purchasing a “share” of produce from a local farmer. Members pay for an entire season of produce upfront and pickup their share weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly at a drop-off point. The members must also volunteer two to four hours to help maintain the CSA.

The Benefits of CSAs

Helps support small local farms.

Eat healthy, fresh food, and explore new foods.

Cut down on the number of miles your food travels from the farm to your plate.

Connect with the food you eat by meeting your farmers and exploring the farms.

By direct sales to community members, who have provided the farmer with working capital in advance, growers receive better prices for their crops, gain some financial security, and are relieved of much of the burden of marketing.

Members share in the risks of farming, including poor harvests due to unfavorable weather or pests.

]]>http://www.organicauthority.com/foodie-buzz/stake-out-your-summer-csa-now.html/feed/0Get Hip to Community Supported Agriculture!http://www.organicauthority.com/blog/organic/get-hip-to-community-supported-agriculture/
http://www.organicauthority.com/blog/organic/get-hip-to-community-supported-agriculture/#commentsWed, 11 Mar 2009 10:21:26 +0000http://www.organicauthority.com/blog/?p=2942You’d never guess it on the east coast, because it’s freaking cold, but spring will be here soon. In New Jersey, that means the local Italian families will be planting their disproportionately large gardens in their backyard, my family included.

But I live in an apartment, so I can’t. That’s why last year I joined a CSA, short for Community Supported Agriculture. In fact, that picture is my box share from Labor Day 2008. It was packed with heirloom tomatoes, bell peppers, beets, garlic, lettuce and a lot more.

In addition to the old standbys, i.e. lettuce and tomatoes, you get exotic stuff too, like kohlrabi and daikon. The only drawback is the occasional stowaway, like a giant grasshopper, which makes me shriek like a little girl! But I’d still recommend a CSA to anyone.

]]>You’d never guess it on the east coast, because it’s freaking cold, but spring will be here soon. In New Jersey, that means the local Italian families will be planting their disproportionately large gardens in their backyard, my family included.

But I live in an apartment, so I can’t. That’s why last year I joined a CSA, short for Community Supported Agriculture. In fact, that picture is my box share from Labor Day 2008. It was packed with heirloom tomatoes, bell peppers, beets, garlic, lettuce and a lot more.

In addition to the old standbys, i.e. lettuce and tomatoes, you get exotic stuff too, like kohlrabi and daikon. The only drawback is the occasional stowaway, like a giant grasshopper, which makes me shriek like a little girl! But I’d still recommend a CSA to anyone.

If you live in an area where shopping for organic food poses a challenge, don't throw in the all-natural kitchen towel! Many Americans in similar circumstances have found the perfect solution: community supported agriculture, or "CSA." First popular in Japan and Switzerland in the 1960s, the CSA movement has -- pardon the pun -- taken root with a vengeance in the United States, where it is sometimes referred to as "subscription farming."

]]>Having trouble buying the highest-quality seasonal organic produce? Unable to find a wide variety of natural and organic fruits and vegetables to bring home? Lack the backyard space to grow your own natural and organic foods?

If you live in an area where shopping for organic food poses a challenge, don’t throw in the all-natural kitchen towel! Many Americans in similar circumstances have found the perfect solution: community supported agriculture, or “CSA.” First popular in Japan and Switzerland in the 1960s, the CSA movement has — pardon the pun — taken root with a vengeance in the United States, where it is sometimes referred to as “subscription farming.”

How, exactly, does a CSA work?

By definition, CSAs are composed of “a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation so that the farmland becomes, either legally or spiritually, the community’s farm, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks and benefits of food production,” according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Community members — usually referred to as farm “shareholders” — pledge to share the expected costs of a farm’s operation, including the farmer’s salary. Members can stipulate that all produce must be grown under the strict tenets of organic farming and organic gardening practices. Each individual’s investment yields a share of farm crops — not to mention a close connection to freshly picked organic produce that hasn’t been sitting on grocery shelves for days or even weeks.

Perhaps CSA expert Elizabeth Henderson, author of “Sharing the Harvest: A Guide to Community-Supported Agriculture,” puts it best: “Starting a community supported agriculture project is a little like having a baby — you unleash biological and social forces that may take you in directions you never expected.” As a shareholder, you demonstrate respect for the earth by taking responsibility for organic farming practices, energy-efficient production and distribution, paying local farmers a decent wage, controlling the land in your area and elevating environmental consciousness.

“Most CSAs offer a diversity of vegetables, fruits and herbs in season,” the USDA notes. “Some provide a full array of farm produce, including shares in eggs, meat, milk, baked goods and even firewood. Some farms offer a single commodity or team up with others so that members receive goods on a more nearly year-round basis. Some are dedicated to serving particular community needs, such as helping to enfranchise homeless persons. Each CSA is structured to meet the needs of the participants, so many variations exist, including the level of financial commitment and active participation by the shareholders; financing, land ownership and legal form of the farm operation; and details of payment plans and food distribution systems.”

Luckily, the Internet has made it easy to track down a CSA in your area. Several excellent online directories provide CSA listings:

The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program at Utah State University in Logan has a fully searchable CSA locator, organized by state. Links to individual farms are only a mouse click away.

These websites also allow you to add your local CSA to their resource guide so you can publicize your community’s efforts — a move that will attract more shareholders.

For additional information on setting up or joining a CSA, visit the SARE online store, where you may purchase a wide range of books and reference guides for developing a sustainable agricultural solution in your hometown.